Late Monday night, President Donald Trump tweeted that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would start removing “millions of illegal aliens” next week.
According to Trump, Mexico is now “doing a very good job” of stopping people before they get to our Southern Border, less than two weeks since signing an agreement with Mexico to avoid a trade war.
Mexico was threatened with increasing tariffs unless they would come to an agreement over reducing illegal immigration coming from Mexico into the U.S. As part of the deal, though, the U.S. didn’t get Mexico to agree to a “safe third country” where asylum seekers fleeing violence and poverty would be granted asylum in Mexico, making them unable to claim asylum in the U.S.
Instead, the administration is expanding its policy of deporting asylum seekers to Mexico, where Mexico will accept them, providing them with services like healthcare and education. Asylum applicants will then wait there, and will not be allowed into the U.S. until their claims are individually approved in court.
On Twitter, Trump also added that Guatemala is close to signing a “Safe-Third Agreement.” Earlier Monday, The State Department did report that it would freeze $185 million in aid to Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador until satisfied that those countries are taking actions to reduce the number of migrants.
If Guatemala signs it, it would mean that those fleeing Honduras and El Salvador would have to seek asylum in Guatemala before the U.S. Once granted asylum there, they would be unable to claim asylum in the U.S.
